The Takeaway: Grandparents Go Viral, Hospitals Getting Better

Grandparents Go Viral: Not since ‘The OGs’ hit YouTube have a pair of grandparents made such a viral video splash. Bruce and Esther Huffman, a retired Oregon couple with a new laptop, just wanted to take a picture. As Esther tried to get the computer’s camera to work, Bruce made monkey faces, sang showtunes and flirted with his wife. Of course, unbeknownst to the Huffmans, the computer was recording video the whole time. Their granddaughter uploaded the video to YouTube-where it’s now gained almost 1.8 million views. While the video, which the granddaughter titled ‘Webcam 101 for Seniors,’ might embarrass some, the Huffmans have a sense of humor about the whole thing:

“When I was 8 years old, my uncle paid me five cents if I’d make a monkey face and I’ve been working on it all these years,” Bruce told ABC News. “I never knew it’d make me famous. He’s up in heaven and he’d be amazed at what’s going on right here, right now.”

What do you think-is this all in good fun, or does it perpetuate negative stereotypes about older adults and technology?

A disproportionate share of small, rural and Veterans hospitals made the list-though none of the 17 medical centers listed by U.S. News & World Report as the country’s best hospitals (including big boys like Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic) made the cut. Reps from these hospitals say it’s because the commission focused on process, not outcomes, and also ignores the fact that they get trickier cases. But for measures like giving pneumonia patients the flu vaccine or properly removing hair before surgeries, “I would not say that the difference in case mix is very relevant,” Nancy E. Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Association, said. Next year, the Joint Commission plans to withhold accreditation from any hospital that posts a composite score below 85 percent.